Justin Courtney Pierre – “An Anthropologist On Mars” album review

Epitaph Records – 2021

I can’t imagine what it feels like to be a frontperson of an established rock act, setting myself up for scrutinous comparison to my already successful work by releasing a solo record. I just don’t think I could stomach the pressure. The fact is, though, that songwriters remain songwriters, even when their band isn’t presently active.

I learned, back in the 90s when I bought Whatever and Ever Amen by Ben Folds Five, just how much I appreciate history and chemistry between band members that makes it onto the record. I dreamed of being in a band like that someday, where everyone clicks with each other and the listeners can hear it. A couple of years later, Ben released his first solo record, and it was fantastic – a triumph, even – but it was not the band I loved. I knew, from then on, that I was probably always doomed to be disappointed by solo records, no matter how good they were.

Justin Courtney Pierre, on his EP An Anthropologist on Mars, manages to bring with him some of what we all love about his former work. Pierre has served as frontman of cerebral pop-punk darlings Motion City Soundtrack since 1997, though the band took a few years off in the late 2010s. Those nearly 20 years saw six studio albums and earned the band a legendary status in the Myspace-era emo explosion. Anthropologist is not an evolution, a departure, or a continuation of a journey. It is five songs that Justin Courtney Pierre wrote and recorded because that’s what he does. And seriously, what else would anyone want from him?

Anthropologist clocks in at just around 13 minutes, but it’s chock full of the good stuff: irresistible hooks, self-deprecating lyrics, synth leads, silky vocals, and – perhaps best of all – drums performed by Motion City Soundtrack’s own Tony Thaxton.

I’ve gotten tired of writing song-by-song breakdowns of albums, because I feel like it would take you longer to read them than to just listen to the songs and make up your own mind. But I can say that any of the songs on Anthropologist could have been Motion City Soundtrack songs if they had cranked the gain knobs on the electric guitars a little more and used more Moog-like synth patches.

The production choices, though, serve more purpose that simply keeping Anthropologist from sounding too much like MCS. On Anthropologist, some of the elements that might be considered “gimmicky” or “signature,” or even “quirky” are pulled back, encouraging listeners to focus on the songwriting instead of the well-defined sound of a band that’s been honing their style and personality for 20 years. And you know something? It’s not disappointing.

If you can’t tell, I am a fan of Justin Pierre and Motion City Soundtrack. An Anthropologist on Mars is a familiar breath of fresh air to existing fans, and a more palatable and accessible version of MCS for listeners who are not fans yet.

Our Score 7.5/10

-Reach James, the author of this review, at jamesunderfire@gmail.com.